Toujours Moi Dana for women

Love this, as I do all the powdery fragrances. This one has a good blend of the spiciness with the powder. On me, comes out as a stronger Guerlain Huere Bleue-esque scent. Will buy the larger size after finishing my 1oz. Definitely one for the classic style fragrance lovers, but not a strong fragrance overall. Very nice.

Love it ♥️. To my nose it's a strong patchouli. Somewhat dusty and very much church like. But it's warm and cosy and quite strong. Unfortunately due to the amber, which my skin eats like a monster, the projection and longtivity is moderate. It becomes a skin scent quite quick. But i love the smell.

Par curiosité j'ai fait l'acquisition d'un petit flacon de 15ml de la version de Dana. Je trouve cela très beau. L'ouverture à la première vaporisation m'a fait penser à Youth Dew. J'étais déçue car je n'aime pas cette fragrance. Cette impression n'a duré que quelques minutes et le parfum s'est transformé en un nuage très confortable qui me rappelle l'odeur de la poudre libre de nos grands mère. Je ne sens pas d' épices , juste comme une sensation d'iris et de vétiver bien qu'il n'y en ai pas dans la composition. C'est un parfum de peau. Aucun sillage sur moi malheureusement. Une belle découverte. Je vais essayer de me procurer un grand flacon pour pouvoir m'en asperger sans retenue.

i found a partial bottle of this, no idea how old it is. it opens with honey and sandalwood with a hint of spice and orange blossom. though i probably wouldn't know it's orange blossom had i not seen the notes-it just smells vaguely floral to me behind the heavier notes. something here smells slightly rubbery, but not in a bad way. the strange thing is i do like this, but i am not sure it's personally wearable. i think i'd like it on someone else more.

This is the scent that makes me think of what Paris must have smelled like in the 80s. Yes, it's vintage, it's older, it's grown up, yet it is intoxicating! It's dark and mysterious, it's amber on a warm sunny day. It is a sultry walk down the street looking at all the shops while the men along the street do a double take. This is not a "grandma scent" it is a luxury Parisian veil of opulence!

Paris in a bottle!

Not a fan of the initial peppery opening. It does eventually dry down to a nice soft powdery fragrance on me. It's not bad as cheap fragrances go but something I would purchase again.

I'm wearing this layered with Arden Blue Grass. It's awesome! Gets the resins all amped up and creates a vanilla impression. I'd love to try the vintage Corday to compare, I'm sure it's heavenly, but even the Dana is very good juice!

Edit: I came across a little bottle that's evaporated down some, and HOLY HELL. This is a benzoin HEAVY HITTER. I almost can't smell anything else. Must be a powder and honey lover for this one.

This is powdery to the maximum, but surprisingly wearable. Very woody and white floral with sweet and peppery facets. Its spiciness calls back to vintage perfumes, a nice departure from the all-too-common Santal 33 or J’adore. Only complaint is that it doesn’t last at all, so I douse myself in it and carry the 30ml bottle to reapply later. How I wish that size was refillable! The unlabelled bottle with the silver cap is as simple and pretty as the fragrance.

I can’t even characterize the initial assault of this perfume except to say that it is entirely rude, but worth the 15 minute wait for it to settle down. I am an autumn and winter scents girl through and through, and this is right in my calendar. If you love sandalwood, patchouli, earthiness, and powdery sweetness in the drydown, try it. I really love it. My only regret is that it doesn’t last all day on my skin, but somewhat makes up for it by how long it stays on clothing (days). If I reapply about an hour after the first application, I get more skin longevity. If the scent profile ticks your boxes and you like the Shalimar-Chantilly-Tabu type, for the ~$20 price it’s a true bargain and a safe blind buy.

Edit: I bought two bottles of mid-90’s New Dana Toujours Moi. Stronger, deeper, darker, heavier than the current formulation, indecent longevity and sillage. Oh, how I love it!

Beautiful in its own right, but also a good dupe for Molinard’s Habanita (vintage; haven’t smelled reformulated Habanita), however I’d say Toujours Moi is the less complex of the two.

To me, Toujours Moi is like the little sister of Tabu. It opens with a similar blast of sweet cola syrup, but soon settles into a more subdued spicy, powdery honey. It's simply beautiful. This is comfort in a bottle and perfect for occasions when I think that Tabu might be a little bit too much for those around me.

This is the type of vintage perfume bomb I love to drench myself with before bed. Long gone in the morning. For at home use only. It cracks me up when my boyfriend gasps. Takes me back to the eighties and an ex-boyfriend's bottle of Lagerfeld that I would avail myself to.

In the 80's this fragrance was owned, made, and distributed by MAX FACTOR.

Ok, as a disclaimer, this all depends on your own personal body chemistry, environment, and general preferences. Take what I say with a grain of salt. I could potentially see this fragrance working really well for someone, just definitely not me.

I was able to obtain a vintage bottle, probably from the 1990s, so I am not sure of its modern counterpart, but this formulation is so strong on me that I laughed when I first smelled it. I like a lot of vintage fragrances, but this is something that might just be too dated for me to enjoy.

The opening is a thick and pungent sweet musk that makes the roof of my mouth itch, it lingers for a good minute and a half, and then settles into a strange sort of powdery honey syrup. I say it’s strange because it doesn’t actually smell like honey per se, but instead the sort of sugar-free impression of not only honey but Johnson’s baby powder, bottled for consumption in some sort of horrible seasonal Starbucks offering.

The projection is impressive, covering a swimming pool-sized radius in its abounding density. My upstairs housemate could smell it from their room, heck, the neighbors probably smelled it too. I remember thinking that this is what it must be like to eat an entire tube of Coppertone sunscreen. My every pore was saturated with it and I am losing oxygen even now, hours after showering it off.

Next amber, incense, and something very sweet but separate from the honey hang thickly like humidity in the space around me, is it orange? Nutmeg? Whatever it is makes my teeth feel like they need to be brushed badly. This might be the cola note that some people have brought up. It sours on my skin and makes the whole experience feel vulgar and illegal, like setting fire to a dumpster full of baby wipes and almonds.

I was trying to identify what offended me so much about these notes. On paper, I like most of what is described, but then it dawned on me that this is the exact smell that I remember new diapers having when I was little. It’s sort of a sweet, powdery scent that is meant to camouflage an inevitable soiling. In that way, it also reminds me of something someone might use to obscure cigarette smoke. I can practically see this sitting in the glovebox of a prolific smoker and weirdly I could almost see it smelling better on someone who smokes.

If there is anything good to say about it, it has some of the most impressive lasting power I have ever encountered to go with its epic projection. It has been almost 12 hours and I still keep catching whiffs of it. I feel as though I might never smell anything else ever again. if this were your cup of tea, you wouldn’t have to reapply... perhaps for the rest of your life.

I like some old fashioned fragrances quite well, but this? No. My skin hates it. And honestly, I hate it. Give it a shot, it’s cheap, but keep in mind that you might be in for a headache.

First impressions, first wearing vintage bottle: omy good gracious this is deep, rich like thick sticky spicy, orange blossom. Or orange blossom smothered in wet gooey almost medicinal spices and honey. I can sense the orange blossom most of all! Oooh such a headrush! I'll need a new bottle now just to compare. ;)

This really does smell like Habanita! It’s beautiful! I wish I could tell more about how old my bottle is or if it’s dans or Corday.. I got a 4oz bottle on eBay and it has no label. All that’s on it is the number 7 imprinted into the glass on the bottom.
I’m happy no matter how old or who made it! I thought it would be lighter but it’s perfect! So Smokey and powdery with a tad bit of fruity smell mmmm!

Today is a great day!!!! I was reminicing recently of all the great high end and drugstore brand fragrance my Mom wore in the 1960s and 70s. I already own most of them. Toujours Moi? Did Mom use that one???? It seemed to trigger a childhood memory. So straight I go to Fragrantica. Yes, all the notes seem like something Mom would wear. Although, I am my Mother's daughter and our taste in fragrance are all over the map. Delicate lady-like fragrances as this one...and powerhouse frags that slap you in the face like vintage Youth Dew.
I went on my usual search...our local community Thrift Shop, where I have made some very spectacular finds for next to nothing. This community use to be a retirement community. Now it is mostly made up of young families. The elderly are slowly dying off. Their children and grandchildren come to settle thier estate, sell as much as thy can at a make shift yard sale and donate the rest to the Church Thrift. I hope these dearly departed know how much I cherish these treasures and intend on using them as they did once in the past. My second method of search is good old eBay. I count on a seller not knowing what a treasure they behold and price the item way beneath it's true value. If I have enough of a certain fragrance, I have been known to write these sellers and tell them they should tweak their listings to draw attention and get top dollar. I know, I know, I should show some loyalty to my fellow Fragranticans and announce a spectacular deal on the Bay. But then I think of the 80 year old man selling off his deceased wife's belongings and I must do the right thing. I can always tell when it's a man that knows nothing about ladies vintage anything.
So this time I found a vintage 2 oz bottle of Toujours Moi for $8 with free shipping!!! It just came in the mail. "Oh boy Mom, it's just like you walked in the room!" Although mom passed away 30 years ago 😣. I am spraying with abandon. And as with all of Mom's fragrances, I call over my 10 year old son (the grandchild my mom never got to meet on this earhly plain, but I have a feeling she was pulling some strings when our adoption came through), "Hey, do you want to smell what your Grandma smelled like????" He comes running and always exclaims, as he looks to the sky, "Wow Grandma, you always smelled wonderful", lol!!!!!

Saw this in the local drugstore for dirt cheap and bought it. What a fortunate blind buy. Smells exactly as if you took orange blossom honey and dessicated it to a powder. A unique rich, dry honeey. I agree this is a fall,scent, and a fabulous one at that, for the price.

I agree on the vibes of Tabu; the overall dryness and initial "cola" and spice blast. The alcohol gives off a largely astringent or acetone-like odor. However, after the alcohol evaporates off I'd say this is way gentler. If the honey note was stronger("richer"), there wouldn't be as much of a dry vibe. Settles into mostly spicy sandalwood with a bit of resin and a tiny bit of sparkling orange. Super pleasant for me, but can see why some will get a "hugging grandma" feel from it. If I imagine hard enough, it really does feel a fragrance a lady of that time will put on for a night out. Not necessarily to go partying and dancing, but more for dinners with the partner in her life, or a subdued evening out having a drink or two. Relative to then, it's still delicate; just slightly more daring than some light violet or rose water one would wear during the day. It may be a reformulation, but it's still a trip through time. Does not smell like anything mainstream one would wear; a picture of an era past. Sure I'd love to smell a vintage version, but now that Dana's interpretation is slowly going the way of price hiking (a large 3oz bottle was only $11 or so just 6 years ago), I'd settle for anything that keeps these eras alive.

Oh how much I love this stuff! So good. The first blast I get is aldehyde and dry balsamic spice. It’s not sweet and smells like fall.it smells like barely sweetened cola. On the skin it melds into this beautiful swirl of gentle floral scented powder and smoky mystery. I own two bottles of the version by Max Factor called Magical Musk. The glass flask is topped with a white unicorn cap. Tacky? Maybe but my inner child gives it a fat thumbs up.

This is in the same vein as Tabu with a powdered cola note. It's very warm, spicy, balsamic, and woody. A must have for vintage lovers. A real beauty!

This is a review of the Dana version, I'm not familiar with any others.

TM is a warm, spicy perfume, rich with incense. Some reviewers have noted a similarity to Youth Dew, and I agree. TM isn't nearly as rich and intense as YD, but it's still very nice, esp. now in the cold time of year. Lasting power is good, sillage is moderate which makes TM a safe choice for work.

I'm fond of many drugstore classics and some Dana frags - Emeraude being the best, imho. TM is clearly an older perfume, but it's not old fashioned. I'd call it a vintage feminine fragrance. Fans of spicy/rich perfumes should give this goodie a try.

Oh my god this stuff is glorious, even the new cheap version is still heavenly. I greatly prefer the vintage but ANY of it is good. I even have a vintage pure parfum that has gone off bad (top notes) but even it turns beautiful later. The vintage Dana is still good, Corday not required or even Max Factor. But I would suggest trying all if you are a TM fan because there are slight differences. This is a powdery uber femme fragrance that is similar to Habanita but still different. I literally can’t atop sniffing it when I wear it. I don’t care how “old” people may think it smells, I don’t care about such things, I just think it smells heavenly, like an oriental honey powder cloud. I could wear it daily and never tire of it. And I only discovered it over the last year or two. I’m mean I smelled it as a kid but literally not since then and couldn’t recall it. I ordered a bottle to refresh my memory and went nuts. It just smells so good!!

I seem to be in the minority in that I much prefer Toujours Moi over Habanita, although the two are similar. The notes listed here seem incomplete. Another website lists the 1924 Corday formula as containing:

Top notes: aldehydes, cognac, bergamot, peach, plum, petitgrain, lemon, raspberry, orange blossom, jasmine, almond, thyme

Middle notes: geranium, clove, ylang-ylang, nutmeg, lavender, lily of the valley, lilac, heliotrope, rose, frankincense, myrrh, honey, carnation, hay

Base notes: patchouli, amber, sandalwood, musk, vetiver, benzoin, leather, camphor, tobacco, Tolu balsam, tonka bean, vanilla, oakmoss, castoreum

I would swear that I can still smell some of these ingredients in the modern formulation.

Is it old fashioned ? Yes ! Is it feminine ? Very ? Totally unsuitable for a man . Tojours Moi , as the page indicates , is an old fragrance . I am 62 . It used to grace the dresser of my grandmother, and I liked it as a girl. It was a grown up perfume that did not burn my nose , like Chanel #5 ( which I still dislike). I grew up and like most women , wore a variety of perfumes over the years . I forgot about Tojours Moi .

One day I was at work and dealing with an affluent artsy aristocratic lady . She smelled divine , and I asked what fragrance she was wearing. Her answer was “ Tojours Moi “. The lady could afford any fragrance made , but she always wore this. When she said the name, the memories came back .

This is a perfume I will never be without . And it does have an old fashioned powdery vibe, which I love. But it is so warm, soft , and gentle , that I do not care if it is hip . It is not sultry, but the femininity definitely appeals to men . The dry down is a true comfort scent , like a cashmere sweater . It is a feel good scent for me. It is even more powdery today and seems to have less vetiver than many years ago. Still, it so feminine and it seems to have the effect of making me feel more cheerful .

I have received MANY compliments on this feel good fragrance .

Absolutely love this, thick balsamic honey leathery floral...

It's very habanita, so I did a side to side comparison. Habanita wins hands down though this is amazing too. But that lasts longer and is more potent / intense. If you want to invest in this scent I suggest buy that one, unless you have a very sensitive nose and prefer the lighter / less intense version...

I looooove Toujours Moi, I'm hoarding my stockpile of Max Factor/Corday.

But now I have the Dana version.

The Dana version lacks the vintage oomph I love (sort of a musty animalic scent -- which is a GOOD THING in my opinion) but it's a pretty good representation of TM. I appreciate the fact these almost-100 year old scents are still around, so I'm willing to take them as I can get them.

Huge lasting power, but I used a LOT. I can't help it. I love this scent!

Yes, this one smells like Habanita the most. It's slightly more fruity and powdery than the vintage.

Modern Dana Tabu is the same way- it def smells like Tabu but you just can't get that animalic musk unless you buy vintage.

This is a recent acquisition and I am wearing today and it's so, so great. It reminds me of Youth Dew or Cinnabar, neither of which I've ever owned, however. I always thought of them as "old lady perfumes," but since I've developed into a recent "fragantaphile" I now am learning to appreciate scents like these. Niche and indie brands are smelling just like Toujours Moi, etc. these days, and they are 10x the price! I have a TM (by Dana) that I bought from Walgreen's. It's a smoky, slightly sweet, slightly powdery balsamic floral. The first spray actually smells like spiced rum & Coke (more specifically, Malibu Rum and Vanilla Diet Coke). I was debating layering something over this as an experiment (maybe Al Rehab Choco Musk??)...or a vanilla? But I just can't bring myself to. I don't really NEED to. I've noticed that the vintage Corday version can go for hundreds of dollars on ebay, and I would love to know why! However, unless one of these falls into my lap I think I'm okay with sticking with this Dana version. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I only sprayed one spray and divided it on chest/both wrists. It is softly wafting around me. Heavenly.

I have a Max Factor formula splash and it's heavenly. Tabu-like only for a second... And then it becomes Habanita. Which is fine by me! Habanita is my number one. What this has to offer tho is honey incense and animalistic funk similar to the Bal a Versailles cologne. This is a creamy smoky sweet incense of flowers with a vintage funk bit, syrupy with honey and powder. And some delicate spices.

I found an affordable 2 oz of Corday on eBay today! I do plan on sniffing Dana as well, for comparison.

The Max Factor version is 2/3 Habanita and 1/3 BaV. I love it.

Sillage is great, didn't last on my wrist past 3 hours, but my clothing/chest is divinely overwhelming -- just how I want it.

There is a rubber note... but that still blends into the vintage-Habanita parfum vibes I get.

This fragrance was created by Corday, then was owned by Max Factor and THEN became the property of Dana.
The first perfume I ever purchased myself as a child was the Max Factor formulation and it is absolutely Heaven.

The Max Factor versions can still be found here and there online. This is an iconic perfume and IMHO should, at some point or other, grace the shelves of every perfume enthusiast for that reason alone.

Toujours Moi is truly a masterpiece.

This is just nice! Always was.

Nope, I just can't. It's very old smelling. I don't mean old lady smelling, because old ladies don't smell ;). I can't say it's vintage smelling because that would indicate some class. Not for me. It smells like the color of it's juice. Instant migraine.

I have a small bottle for swap, it's only about 10-15 mls but I'd be glad to get rid of it. Message me if interested

I passed a small bottle up at Goodwill tonight, but when I got home and check the data base here, I see I already own it. My one spray was potent. It's off putting at first spray! It smells almost of burning rubber. After a while that tames down some, but doesn't totally go away. After it dries down a while it becomes a baby talcum powder smelling, smoky vanilla and amber scent. I like it okay, but wish it was less powdery smelling.

Review for the EDC, modern formulation. I'm eager to get my hands on the vintage from Corday, though I'm told all formulations are very similar.

If I were a woman of the 50s, Toujours Moi would be my signature. It's definitively oriental. TM has a dark, comforting quality while remaining almost a girl next door - not exactly going into femme fatale territory like Shalimar. The benzoin, quite prominent to me, combines with the dry spices into the smell of a mahogany-lined library full of old books. However, the sandalwood brings some sensuality into the mix. And with a French name you just can't go wrong!

TM reminds me a lot of Pierre Guillaume Felanilla. To be honest, I think in the long run I'll opt for this one as it's just more wearable. The wallet-friendly price is just the cherry on top. The performance isn't magnificent, but it is an EDC after all.

I agree with the last poster, is similar to Opium,and Obsession and Youth Dew but less " scary" lol. For me it reminds me of my grandma, she wore something similar. I like that its powdery but not baby- smelling. This is one of the few oriental perfumes I will wear. Smells like a glamorous 1930s lady with stockings and a fur collar and red lipstick.

This is spicy but odd. In the Obsession/Opium family --oriental but odd; smells unlike anything else; sweet woody floral. It's hard to pick out notes on this one, and I have a nose. Mainly I get the musky jasmine, sandalwood and vetiver but still some unnamed spice in there that's almost a little peppery. this review is for the vintage Corday version. I also have the modern Dana version that is sweet woody oriental floral that is powdery. And, i have the vintage 1980s Max Factor unicorn cap version that is a soft soapy floral aldehyde with a hint of musk.

Very warm, powdery and woodsy. The opening is a bit harsh and this scent is a tad old fashioned but very wonderful. If you love woods or powder you must have this. I will be wearing this often, in the colder months to come. EDIT: I wanted to add a bit more, I honestly think this is a very underrated little known scent that deserves more love, while comparing this to Shalimar EDT I can say that I think I may actually prefer this (sacrilege I know) this has the same silage/longevity and is missing the harsh citrus burst that is my least favorite part of Shalimar.

Blind buy that I have now made a small stockpile of. Super good value. The best way to describe it is smooth, womanly and powdery. Nothing earthshatteringly sexy, but cosy and cuddly nonetheless. In the 'Ciara' vein. I use it for work and keep a smaller bottle in my car glove box for quick sprays if I have forgotten to put perfume on at home. A good fallback for all occasions, in other words. I discovered perfumes in the 1970s and the first sniff of this took me back, to what I am not sure? Revlon Moondrops lotion, I suspect, as this has never been sold in my country. The last bottles I bought smelled different and harsher on first opening, but after a few weeks were the same as the earlier ones, so I suspect I got a very fresh batch.

Oh Wow do I Love this! Excellent Blind Buy! Not sure what took me so long to order it. It's gorgeous. On me it's Woodsy, powdery Vanilla with a hint of spice. It lasts quite a while too.


If you like Shalimar & Emeraude you should like this too.

I bought a bottle of this awhile ago, tried it once, and gave it away. It was heavy and cloying. It reminded me of being trapped in church as a kid, surrounded by old women who reeked of perfume. Now I'm thinking I got a bad bottle. I normally like woody orientals, and old time favorites like Tabu, and the reviews here made me want to give it another chance. So I got another bottle. As others have said, the opening blast is harsh - but it subsides in a few seconds. I'm left with a smoky incense. I like it. It is a little dark. It makes me think of sitting around a campfire on a late spring night. I mostly smell the fire, but there is a bare hint of flowers, vanilla, and amber on the breeze. Others have described this as powdery, dainty, or delicate. Not on me. This is smoky, spicy, mysterious. A little bit witchy. I think this could work for men or women depending on their personal chemistry. This is a keeper. It may just be my new signature.

WONDERFUL! Heavenly top notes that thrill the very soul. The price is literally unbelievable considering the classic, timeless and incredibly expensive type fragrance that this is.
Makes me feel fabulous, exclusive, and like a sophisticated lady.
It would exceptionally suit holidays, warm evenings sipping cocktails, romantic interludes with secret lovers, and weekends in Paris.

Keyword: Bubbly

Toujours moi by Dana is a hard to find perfume. I tried everywhere, until I found it by chance at Walmart. Its a pesky one to find, and I found out it is a reformulated version, the original by legendary perfume house Corday. The minute I sprayed it on, it reminded me of cola. No lie.

But after it settled down, the smell is fresh and sweet. Usually, when I think of fresh, I think of linen, but in this case, the oriental jasmine and musky scents make the perfume smell like its for a day out, not necessarily a night on the town. It reminds me of a lighter, friendlier version of Tabu. Now if I could only smell the original....

This is wonderful if you like the classic, spicy, thick scents of yesteryear. The opening is a bit much but the dry down is so sexy. Like Tabu but without the sweetness. Tabu will always be #1 in my heart but Toujours Moi will always have a place in my collection.

I LOVE IT!!!!

I braced myself with all the fortitude needed when spraying Tabu, Chantilly, Wind Song, Red, Bond's Amber etc etc etc.

Moi does come out a tad harsh, but in less than a minute it's sweet and warm. Not vanilla, not almond. Powder yes, but only to the extent lavender is powdery. Not syrup sweet. The sweet of vetiver commingling with orange blossom, two of my faves. It's bold yet delicate.

I put a baby doll nightie on this last warm evening of autumn before our fortune turns, and I feel feminine and uplifted after relaxing around in this. It's just mixing well with everything: air, skin, clothes ...

There could be some kind of subtle fruit in here but it is NOTHING like today's fruits, only the hallucination of it.

Easy to see why it's been around 90 years.

The scent, however, does not last 90 years. I sprayed last night about an hour before bed, and on awakening I couldn't smell it on my skin. :(

A cloud of fluffy sweet powder. I love it! I find it alluring and playful with a strong vintage undertone.

So distinct from the modern forgettable perfumes. This one is recognizable, it has personality and another great thing is - small chances you will run into someone wearing your scent.

I find the sandalwood combines wonderfully with the powdery notes. I definitely recommend it if you are into old school powdery perfumes.

At first it whaps me in the face with a bucket full of raisins and wood laquer but after a while I smell rootbeer floats and vanilla milkshakes. i like rootbeer floats!

I can't really detect any florals but that's ok with me.

By itself the Dana version is not so bad, but on a side by side test, the Dana version of Toujour Moi is nothing like vintage Corday other than the aldehydes. The vintage is fresh powder with bright orange, amber, sandalwood, and florals. The Dana version smells like powder and dirty musk.

The label on my bottle says Dana Classic, which suggests it was made at some point over the last several years. This formulation is quite good, though not as rich or deep as my vintage, by Corday. It also doesn't seem as long-lasting. Still, if you can't get vintage, but you can get this cheap, I'd suggest grabbing a bottle if you are a vintage fan. There are vetiver, wood, and amber notes here, and they aren't bad at all (though again, don't expect the strength of a similar Lutens scent). On the other hand, if you are used to Lutens scents of this type, I doubt this formulation will be satisfying, unless you want a light version of that kind of thing. However, if you like L'AdDM but can't afford it, this might be good enough (especially if you want a softer, more "feminine" version of L'AdDM's drydown)!

Well. it's been a year and a half, and I haven't given my TM away yet. So, I decided to give it another chance.
All is forgiven TM. I may have been at fault not letting you explain yourself to me....lol

The cologne first, which I had not tried. I held on and sprayed. Well, the cologne is a lot different from the parfum. Much more powdery and softer in the intial spray. It is a sweet scent...not candy sweet, but an amber sweetness. I can see people liking the cologne. It takes a while to develop, I'm sure.

I also tried the parfum again....well same reaction, but this time I let it develop. Initially, it is very candy sweet with something a little off.
....and then I waited, and waited....oh, did I wait...

Whew...It takes about 30 minutes on me to morph into a vanilla/amber.
I find no florals in either one.
Vanilla amber in the parfum, and a powdery vanilla amber in the cologne.
It's a creamy vanilla, not the harsh vanilla I smell in today's perfumes. I generally do not like vanilla

Hmm, well then.
It is kind of nice smelling this balmy evening.


Using it with a light hand may just serve a purpose here. I'm going to take it to the street tomorrow and get some feedback.

UPDATE: Well, it's not happening for me on the street. For some reason it smelt like....everyone else. (?)
Back you go TM, you had your chance.

Not really a review, but a woman I work alongside wears this, exclusively (I finally asked her today what it was), and it smells just lovely on her. Powdery, musky, put-together; not too much of anything.

Apparently $18 at Kmart ;)

I am not a perfume snob and I have no problem with inexpensive perfumes. I didn't wear this perfume in my youth but it came in a new vintage set that I purchased for another scent that I did wear when I was young, so I decided to try it. It truly smells like nothing but paint thinner on me. I tried to let it dry down to see if anything else came out at all, but I just couldn't do it. The sharp metallic smell of paint thinner was just too much for me. I couldn't even catch a whiff of anything else underneath. I'm having the exact same experience with Chantilly so it must be something that they used during this time period that doesn't agree with my chemistry. I do love Intimate and Tabu (the original) though so I can wear some vintage perfumes. I'll be passing these little bottles off to someone who loved them.

If you sneer and consider powdery scents "old lady" then go away. This is femininity, softness, and subtlety at their glorious zeniths. I had a couple bottles of this stuff laying around ignored for a few years (one Corday, one Dana) and after a shrug and a sniff, gave them each a retry, one on each wrist. I love them both. The mister loves them both. The cat even started rubbing my leg and purring. I really enjoy winning my perfume polls with the 100% landslide victories at my house.

Of course, there are the Corday purists who dramatically wipe a small tear from their cheek and sigh "Dana ruined this scent. It's just not the same." Oh pish tosh. I have both Corday and Dana versions and y'know what? I can't tell the difference. If you must weep over the long lost Corday version, then hop on over to eBay, make a bid and pay twice what you should. Frankly, I'm happier with Dana's juice because it smells the very same to me and lasts longer. This is a beautiful, sparkling hidden treasure that's been ignored by the perfumista aristocracy because it's so...[gasp!] cheap. Shhhhh. Let's keep it that way.

I got this in a swap.

I remember it from back in the 80's.I liked it then and I like it now.
I kinda get that paint thinner vibe in the beginning but that quickly goes away. It then goes straight to a powder puff scent that I really appreciate and enjoy. I like powdery scents. It's a little floral, I can't detect the sandalwood distinctly but it has a woodiness to it. It's so well blended that I cannot pick up the different notes in it.
It doesn't last long on my skin. But I get a few hours on my clothes and I am completely ok with that. This is a keeper!

My mother wore the Corday version when I was a child, and it smelled heavenly on her. Sandalwood worked well with her chemistry and that was the main note I can remember...some of her vintage clothes that I have still have a whisper of it. I bought a bottle of this version (Coty) as a Mother's Day assortment of fragrances I'm collecting for her, and just for an experiment sprayed some Toujours Moi on my wrist this morning. As a teen, it never worked with me and actually smelled more like bug spray...maybe now that I am of middle age, I'm discovering a lovely bouquet of notes, jasmine/lilac at first, sandalwood and musk as it dries down...and I'm also getting a vanilla scent even though I know it doesn't have vanilla. Compared to the fruity/floral trends of recently it might be a dated frag, but when I am in the mood for something more spicy and mysterious I think I'm going to reach for this one.

First impressions: licorice, cigarette smoke, and paint thinner. I'm going to wait and see if it changes on my skin. I don't tend to like to keep frags that have such an unpleasant first stage, but if the dry-down is particularly stunning, I'm willing to make that compromise. More to follow...

The heart has finally begun to emerge, and Toujours Moi is becoming an intensely spicy, burnt sandalwood with hints of soapy florals. It is interesting, and vaguely appealing. I'm still not sure I'm "getting" this one yet, though. I will have to try it by itself one of these days - do a full day's solo wearing. For now, I'm happy to have tried it.

Edit: Only now, hours later, do I finally 'get' it. Yes, the far drydown is absolutely gorgeous! But... I'm not sure I want to wait so many hours to get here. I'll enjoy my mini from time to time, perhaps as a sleep scent so I can wake up to this wonderful goodness without the agonizing meantime.

I think I've unwittingly been a perfume snob at times. Recently I've found a few cheapies at the drugstore which I like and this is one! It reminds me of orientals like Opium without being overwhelming and the good aspect of Tabu without the " whore" part lol.not bad at all and it has a little bit of Hypnose to it also.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I wish the ambient smell it creates smelled more like the scent hanging close to my skin. The ambient has a lot of bubblegum from the orange blossom, however, close to the skin it smells like cloves and cinnamon: warm, spicy, and woody. If the dang orange blossom wasn't there, this would be my Christmas scent. I've tried this three times because I keep getting drawn back in by the close sniff.

This scent starts out kind of like paint remover on me, BUT,
after it drys down and develops for about an hour it is a nice, rather powdery (a good thing to me), spicy, woody vetiver. It is comforting to me. I like it alot...

I'm revisiting this post because I received a new bottle from FragranceNet that leaves a different impression from the last bottle I had purchased. The first thing I noticed is the lilac, jasmine and oakmoss, that quickly turns very powdery.
The powdery note must be lavender, which then develops into a woody, but very floral drydown. I didn't get the paint remover impression at all this time! Just a beautiful woodsy, floral oriental. I love this so much that I'm making it my signature scent. I don't know why my impression has changed. It may be my chemistry, maybe the last bottle was old (no, it wasn't from FragranceNet), but i'm totally in love with Toujours Moi. Dana, please, please please don't change this masterpiece!!!

I have a vintage Corday bottle of Toujours Moi PERFUME and I can honestly say it is far-and-away from the "Dana" version. IMHO, Dana's formulations are very poor on every level with every fragrance they have bought rights to and just piggy-backed their profits off of the established name of popular, original perfumes.

And can we "pleeeeeeease" stop referring to perfumes as "old lady" perfumes, like there is something "negative" or very unappealing about being an old lady? I am 55 years old so yes, I am personally referencing this. I know I don't "stink" or smell awful - so I think this particular reference should not be used. A more appropriate approach to fragrances we do not like would be simply to say, "This fragrance is offensive to my senses and it does not work for me" or "to me, this fragrance smells horrible" and leave the "smells like old lady perfume" out of it.

If you are looking for the true experience of Toujours Moi, look on Ebay or Etsy for vintage Corday Toujours Moi. You'll be pleasantly rewarded.

This just doesn't work well with my chemistry, I love the dry down which is very cozy but I can't stand the vinegar smell in the opening. I see the similarities with Habanita, though Habanita seems classier. I've been trying for a long time now I guess I should give this to someone who'll appreciate it better than me. Anybody in France ?

Once upon a time there were two sisters, Tabu and Toujour, both beautiful and alluring, Tabu lived in a farm surrounded by her favourite animals and flowers, her sister lived in the woods, among the flowers and divine vetiver, she is shyer than the bolder sister but once you get to know her she reveals to you all her beauty, her strength and allure, don't be put off by her awkward entrance, give her a few minutes and I promise you, you will never forget her...

This is nice! For reference, I was born in 1979. I am reminded just a bit of what one of my grandmas wore. She was by far the most sophisticated person I knew in terms of style. Had moved from the Midwest to NYC, traveled widely from there. Plum is not listed here but I do get a bit of that plum vibe. Fruity, woody, 70s, yeah. It's a bit retro but it's lovely. They knew what they were doing back then. If the notes intrigue you then check it out!

This is sweet and spicy and delicious. It lasts forever on my skin and makes me feel so elegant and classic. This is very much an adult woman's fragrance, not one for little girls and I like that about it.

I love this! I bought this blind from eBay and it's one of the best buys ever! For an inexpensive perfume, it over achieves. Oriental, soft, powdery and slightly musky....ideal for any time of day or night. Wonderful.

God bless Dana! I don't know how they do it, but I am so happy they do! They keep old school classics alive, and even affordable, in a world when trendy releases are weak, boring and overpriced. This scent is so much better than 90% of juices released today, and probably better than some big names' reformulations.

I'm 30 and nobody in my family was into perfumes so I have no memories of great oldschool classics, I have to use what I find now.

The turqouise-green package implies a minty smell for me, but this is quite the opposite, no mint. I've only tried the new Habanita, not the old one, and this reminds me to it so I can completely understand when people say it is similar to the original one. Rich and intoxicating, with lovely sweet dark smoke. I get the spicy vanilla note people mentioned. A dark charcoal grey scent for me, warm and comforting.

It is incredible that one can get such a stylish classic juice for this cheap. Decent strength and lasting power for an edc, too, probably due to the oriental notes which tend to last well. I guess I can call it old lady because it's a quality scent, and "old lady" is just another word for good quality and style.

I suppose all the ingredients must be synthetic and cheap, only guessing by the price, but ohhhh, does this smell classy!

I guess when these scents were released they were no big deals and nowhere near the position to compete with releases by the big names and the materials those used. Then time passed, standards changed (recently to the worse), and compared to today's releases this is gold! And even the mighty classics have fallen, their original formulas were mutilated so by now the differences in the quality of the materials are gone.

Wow. Out of four blind buy scents (Tabu, Chantilly, Zig Zag and Toujours Moi, none of them a big financial risk), four winners. I LOVE DANA!

I have to update this, when I mean Habanita's cheap twin sister I mean, the price is cheap. This fragrance is lovely, not cheap smelling at all. It's an elegant very nicely priced Classic fragrance.

Habanita's cheap twin sister. I have both fragrances and it is so close to Habanita. It's a nice fragrance if you like this type, if not, you won't like Habanita either. Personally it is not my type of fragrance but I can appreciate its closeness to Habanita. I think it's one of the best cheaper twin frags and the price is great.

I want to say that Toujours Moi by Dana is pretty close to the original version. It is not as strong or as rich or as complex as the earlier French made perfume, but you can smell a Corday version from the 1950s or 1960s and smell a current Dana version and you can tell they are in the same family of fragrance. This is a great cologne for the money. I would say it is easily better than 90% of what passes for perfumes on the market today. I know several wealthy women who can afford any perfume they want who wear this regularly and count Toujours Moi among their favorite frags. I just hope that Dana will never discontinue this scent or radically degrade its composition. In fact I would hope that eventually Dana might spin this wonderful scent off into a separate company as a "premium perfume" and go back to the original formula----or as close to the original as the meddlesome US and EU governments will allow them too. They could easily pull the current TM off the market for a few years, re-formulate it to closely match the original version, design a new crystal bottle and elegant box to house it in and make three strengths: eau de parfum, eau de cologne, and eau de toilette. Adjust the prices accordingly to more premium ingredients and have an intensive, massive media campaign via tv, magazine and newspaper to announce the return of the "real Toujours Moi". They would definitely make a "killing" financially with a relatively small investment. A word to the wise. . . .

I can't stand this perfume. It smells cheap, like powdery, musty root beer. It's very "old lady" smelling. Not that there's anything wrong with older, classic perfumes that are well crafted. But this is NOT one of them.

i got a new .5 oz. bottle of this for $2. i've been wanting to try some of the classic drug store frags. it begins strong so use sparingly. for me it is spicy, vanilla on top of faint floral. after t warmed up it was a nice scent. something i would put on befpre bed on a winter night. the scent is like a hug from someone who loves me unconditionally -- like grandma,s hg. which is a nice thing. it,s not complicated like Chanel N°5, but neither is t expensive. not bad. i have the Dana version, made in the U.S.

Like the "poor woman's HABANITA", perhaps. Fruit, booze, flowers, spices, balsams and woods meld into a nostalgic, bold brew leaning surprisingly into the masculine. Autumnal perhaps, smells a deep amber color. Not as seductive/musky as TABU... more noble and imperial; not nearly as vanilla-sweet as SHALIMAR; TM is more about nutmeg, while L'ORIGAN is about clove/carnation. With development on the skin, it reveals itself to be more complex than it initially seems. In far drydown, it's a glowing powdery/spicy pomander, surprisingly erotic and Art Deco stylish, like a flapper wearing only a rabbit-fur skirt. A surprising castoreum note in the base gives the whole scent an old-school swank and heft. Drugstore stuff, but it has nothing to be ashamed of at all: amazingly rich, nuanced, natural, good-smelling and nostalgic. [What bestows the somewhat vinegar-like note to the midrange? Benzoin. Pure natural gum benzoin smells vanilla-like, but also slightly vinegar-sour.]

TETE: Aldehydes, cognac, bergamot, peach, plum, petitgrain, lemon, raspberry, almond, thyme;
COEUR: Lavender, nutmeg, lilac, ylang-ylang, rose, geranium, clove, jasmin, benzoin, hay;
FOND: Amber, tonka, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouly, oakmoss, vanilla, castoreum.

This perfume us pretty amazing considering the cost of it. I have purchased other lower cost brands (like Rochas, and a few 'celebrity' scents), and Dana, by far, takes the award for the nicest cheap fragrances. Between Navy, Tabu, and Toujorurs Moi, Dana are really quite impressive.

The sandalwood, vetiver and lavender combination it pleasant and well formulated, and makes for a nice woody oriental fragrance. It smells like a warm amber on me, and is long lasting.

Its interesting that Dana fragrances can be considered " cheap" but are also " great value for the money" i personally think Dana makes great perfume and works their numbers properly so they dont have to charge the earth fir their fragrances. This fragrance is another in their stable that ranks alongside its more expensive counter parts, and in some cases over takes the competition. If you like ET black pearls thens you will love thus. Its similar but without that sweet overtone in black pearls. Its not as strong as its stablemate TABU but a nice soft "mummy" smell, or the scent if a simple summer dress and sandals. Can be worn by the older ladies (i am 49 and i got compliments in it all day) not a dramatic scent and not one i would suggest for a date. Softly spicy, slightly,sweet & powdery. Love it for post sun after a shower .

This is One of My Signature Sents, However it has 3 personalitys, At First When You Spay It On, It Stinks, Smells like the Colones You get at the Dollar Store Pe-U But Don't Let tht Scare You Off, It's like someone who makes a terrible first Impression but soon becomes your best friend, Wait 3 to 7 Minutes for it to mesh with your chemistry then it smells Like a Hgh End, Very Classy Very French Perfume, You could not Afford, for about $15.00 a bottle, just a small sritiz is all you need. It will last way into the next day. It's Much like Bal a Versailes, and other French Classics, It's Spicy, but with with floral and powdery under tones. This was Dana's Verision of the Tipical French Perfume, and they got it right, Needles to say it's very Sultry, and Will get you Noticed Like Tabu with a Sweet French Accent. Over Night After a Night on the Town, Or Rolling in Bed with the One You Love. It Mellows into a softer Powdery Floral, Soft Sweet Musk, in the moring it dosen't screm Va Va Va Voom, like last night, but you can wear it to work and still get compliments. I have got compliments on it almost every time I wear it. This sent is a Great Autum Perfume. Dana Should have named it Autum in Paris

My favorite fragrance is the smell pf burning woods and dry leaves that comes in the air of Autumn. This fragrancce reminds me of that. A semi-sweet woody scent. I call this my out for a walk scent.
Good stuff!

I've been wearing this for a couple of weeks now. I didn't like it at first because of the vinegar-like note. The more I wear it, the more I find things I like about it. Now it doesn't smell too strong when first sprayed. And I like the dry down, very nice rootbeer-cocoa- powder.But sillage is very low , my husband has to come really close for him to smell me but stays on me through out the day. Very nice for cold weather, kind of cozy. My 11 year old son told me I smell like chocolate!

During a recent trip to America, I found myself sneaking into the CVS and Walgreens stores, to check out the famous "drugstore fragrances". I had already decided to buy Toujours Moi, based on the reviews of our wonderful Fragrantica members.

I asked the SA if I could sample the fragrance, and she insisted on spraying it on herself. When I later paid for my purchases, she told me, "At first it smelt old-ladyish, but now it's nice". I wonder if she ended up buying a bottle. It smelt lovely on her.

Nevertheless. "Old ladyish?" I could only smile. Since when do perfume houses concoct potions for the elderly?

Anyway, this is a cheap perfume. The price is cheap. The packaging is cheap, the colour of the fragrance looks cheap.

But it does not smell cheap. At least, not on me. It's a lovely warm, slightly spicy vanilla/amber, with a very light flutter of white florals and a drop of citrus, to prevent it from being syrupy.

It warms to a sweet, powdery sophisticated scent. The notes are great for Autumn, but I'm looking forward to trying it in warmer weather, to see how it transforms in the heat.

I have to agree with cloibnie on this, and I too am sorry for any fans of this perfume, which I see many.
I read the reviews on this some time ago, and when I found a giftset of it for $10.....yes $10, I quickly swooped it up.
I could smell how strong it was when I opened the package, and right away I smelled Tabu.
Then I sprayed.
Maybe I should have given it a chance, but that first spray knocked me for a loop, and I had to get it off of me. Even after a half hour, the scent was still in my nose.
Well, it's on hold now ....for a last minute gift to someone on the Holidays, because I neatly put it back in the package and no one will ever know.
*wink wink*

I ordered this based on the nice reviews here. I got my order today and was so excited to try it. The first spray was strong and sour (vinegar-like). Then it turned rootbeerish. I didn't get any flowers.I got an old lipstick note that bothered me. It gave me a headache, too. I'm so disappointed this didn't work for me. I'll keep trying though...

This is a wonderful spicy oriental that exudes warmth and cozyness in cooler weather. Probably more appealing to the more mature amongst us it is suitable for day and night in cooler weather and nighttime wear in warmer weather. I would put it in the same category as Ciara by Revlon and Bal a Versailles by Jean Desprez. In the drydown it is very close to Bal a Versailles and could make a nice substitute for daytime wear for all BaV lovers who shy away from wearing BaV during the day.

Stupendo, molto simile ad Habanita, la trovo più gentile e meno aggressiva. Pesante ma in un modo molto sopportabile, ti avvolge in una calda nuvola di cipria, rossetto, tabacco, cuoio, fiori.

I purchased Toujours Moi blind, based solely on the notes and reviews from other Fragrantica members, and fell instantly in love. I was immediately enveloped in a powdery soft cloud of creamy sandalwood, orange blossom and musk. As this scent warms up, it smells more like sandalwood, jasmin and vetiver. The scent never turns, becomes bitter or masculine. It remains beautiful, sexy and powdery. Toujours Moi is one of those elegant scents for any woman who loves orientals, and when I wear it, I feel like Betty Draper or Grace Kelly.

Powdery Cola, almost rootbeerish.

Thank you, Fragrantica, for introducing me to Toujours Moi! I've finally found a classic that likes me! I found a bottle at Walgreens for about $21.00.

First spray is a little overwhelming & sour-ish. But suddenly; smoky, spicy, sultry, ambery, vanillic incense. It just makes me sigh, it smells so rich and wonderful. I would have surely guessed amber and vanilla in this one. It is strong, but I think just to me. I felt like maybe I was filling up the car with the fumes, but my family said they didn't notice. This scent makes me feel confident, classy, and feminine.

I love Scarlette's description of TM smelling like her mom's purse! I can totally see (smell) that!

I think the strongest, smokiest, and best part of this fragrance only lasts about an hour or two on me. The bottom is a nice, warm, close vanillic scent that I have to put right up to my nose to smell. It lasts about 5 hours on my skin, longer in my hair.

I wanted a smoky, old-school scent to tide me over until I can get my coveted Fifi Chachnil, and this fits the bill!

Toujours Moi, by Dana, is one of the rare cases in which the new version still does justice to the original ( Corday).
I absolutely love it. And what a bargain! I've been buying Corday and it's just hard and expensive...and sometimes I get a bottle where the scent has gone bad. Now I can just buy the Dana version and I'm perfectly happy (and this is from a person who calls the latest fragrances "frankenfrags").
But..buyer beware. I did buy a Dana bottle on the internet that smelled pretty bad and I noticed that at the bottom of the bottle, in minuscule letters, it said: Made in China". Now, I'm not talking about those "our version of so and so"..This was a bottle in the same box and the same bottle as the Toujours Moi by Dana from the US. There are several comments on well known sites from unhappy buyers mentioning this, so, either Dana decided to start producing his products abroad, or, like the fake Gucci, Prada, and other designer handbags, Dana is not in on this (I hope this is the case, I would be upset if I could not count on getting a good Dana version from now on).
Back to the positive: this is a beautiful, unique, scent with longevity and great sillage (I get a lot of compliments).

Astonishingly good value for the bargain-basement price. Toujours Moi is an old-style oriental with decent sillage and longevity.

Somewhat sweet, rather musky, this is cosy and warm, perfect for colder weather.

It just goes to show how little correlation there can be between price and quality. You could spend ten times as much and do worse, in my opinion.

Good old Dana! Between this and Tabu they have a couple of real classics. Who says you can't smell good in drugstore fragrances any more?

Oh, this is *lovely.* Toujours Moi starts out with an "omg!" blast, sharp and unpleasant, but within twenty minutes it has morphed into something wonderful. It's soft, warm, smooth, creamy, spicy-sweet. I don't smell the flowers which is great because I tend to dislike white florals, but instead get sandalwood (a favorite scent) and spice and musk. It's sensual, sexy, womanly. It lasts forever on my skin.

All this from a much-maligned "old lady drugstore stink." It's sad that a perfume isn't considered good unless it's wildly-overpriced, a snooty niche, or something sickeningly sweet or fruity, hawked by a celebrity (and you know they don't wear their own scents). If it's more than a few years old or doesn't fit into the previously-mentioned catagories, it's "old lady."

Pish. It doesn't matter if it's "old lady." Or at least, it shouldn't. Wear what pleases you, what makes you smell good. The name and price shouldn't matter. Toujours Moi is a drugstore perfume (like most if not all of the celebrity ones), is inexpensive and makes me feel strong, sexy and beautiful. Try it--you might discover that you like it.

I'm picturing a big room where a bride and her bridesmaids are putting on the finishing touches before the wedding. The combination of make-up, flowers, hairspray, new clothes and nervous perspiration is filling the room and the heat from the curling irons and driers is warming it all up. It's comforting in the way it reminds me of friendships and rituals, but I'm not sure if I can wear it because I just can't find anything about it to take hold of and help me to define it.

When I wear this fragrance, I feel like a gorgeous, sophisticated Old-Hollywood, glamorous movie star; the warm, undeniably sensual musk and vetiver dance with lilting, exotic florals to an unashamedly-feminine powder finish. This fragrance is the olfactory equivalent of sexy, frivolous nights in the American 1920's, evocative of power and playfully vibrant sophistication. This is no little girl's scent, either; this bold, spicy, warm and floral sex-juice can only be pulled-off by a fully-grown woman.

Toujour Moi is a gorgeous, soft, powdery floral with just enough vetiver to give it a slight crispiness. The sandalwood here is strong, smooth, creamy, and delicious. There's just enough soft musk blended in to give this fragrance a gentle, powdery glow.

Toujour Moi is floral sweet, soft, and very long lasting, with great silage. As with most vintage fragrances, a couple of sprays is all you need.

Toujour Moi is similar to Habanita, but without the leathery note, and not quite as thickly powdery, though it's close. Also similar in feel to Jean Charles Brosseau's Ombre Rose, and Dana's Lutece but instead of rose, Toujour Moi is white flowers, lavender and lilacs. There is no bitter note in Toujour Moi. The only woody aspect comes from soft, smooth, rich sandalwood. If you like Ombre Rose and/or Lutece, you would love Toujour Moi, too. All 3 are very similar in powdery feel with similar sweetness from beautiful florals. I love them ALL !!!

UPDATE: There is a light refreshing sweet soft citrus note in Dana Toujour Moi, that keeps it lighter in feel, easy to wear. Not a sharp citrus at all.
This version is not a remake of the original formula Corday Toujoour Moi. Instead, it's the remake of Courday Toujour Moi Spragrance, which was a lighter version of the original Corday Toujour Moi.

The more I smell this the more I love it! Soft sandalwood and powdery musk is not something I would ordinarily wear, but it smells very outdoorsy, yet feminine, soft and warm. I find it very soothing and relaxing, like a warm fire in the fireplace on a cold and snowy day. Sadly nobody else in my house likes this one, so times for being able to wear this one are very limited. but it's definitely a favourite!

This is among the first fragrances I owned and wore with any regularity. There's something oddly comforting to me that one of my first deliberate selections in fragrance was actually this decades-old forumla.

There are many ways to describe this - warm, woody, sweet, spicy, resinous. A deep, dark oriental that's very suitable for chilly evenings, or cool weather in general. This is like a sultry embrace. The more I wear this, the more I like it.

In my opinion, Toujours Moi is very much like Habanita and John Galliano EDP. Deep and mysterious with boozy cherries and smokey vanilla. A little goes a long way and more suited to cooler weather.

This is very warm and comforting, but quite strong -- apply with a light hand. I always imagine old movie stars wearing something like this -- it just smells incredibly classic to me. The woods and musk dominate -- it's harder to detect the florals in this.

Love this. Toujours Moi is a warm, powdery oriental. It has a slightly smoky/leathery note when you first spray, but that note dissipates quickly, leaving you with a powdery, slightly floral musk. Not as heavy as other orientals like Cinnabar or Opium, but just as appealing. A well-hidden (not to mention inexpensive!) "gem" for those of us who are fans of spicier scents.

I needed a friendly face with a sharp mind and sophisticated sense of humor this Monday—and I got it in Toujours Moi.

She starts out like a mistake, with a musty-dusty-sour note that had me worried what the other women at the gym thought of me. Then, after about 20 minutes, an effervescent root-beer note appeared—-spicy, bright, sweet and a little sharp. The fragrance got spicier as it dried down, with a floral sweetness that was rich, round and warm. There is a touch of powder, but not much. With further dry down, the fragrance gets spicier and more vanillic and the powder fades; this is what L de Lolita Lempicka wishes she could be! Later (like 6 hours later!), the sweet vanilla fragrance is still there, like a top notch vanilla ice-cream served with spiced rum, or like a wonderful vanilla holiday candle burning brightly in the dark. I think the vetiver and sandalwood is giving it an earthy, well-grounded quality that is a tiny bit masculine and that keeps it from being your run-of-the-mill gourmand. I have no idea where the sweet and spicy vanilla is coming from—nothing like that listed in the notes.

Other than the shocking initial blast, this fragrance is wonderful; the way it evolves throughout the day was delightful and entertaining, I was sniffing my wrist every 20 minutes and came away with something new each time. If I can get this kind of vintage-fragrance-adventure from a $3 drugstore classic, why would I ever pay for a modern uni-dimensional prima-donna with no lasting power?

I used to wear this in the early eighties for a while. I was unusual, and heavy when I sprayed it on but would always dry down to something unique, soft and earthy on me. Of course back then it was by Corday. Just bought a cheap gift set with Dana Classics because I have become a little obsessed with revisiting my perfume past. Sprayed a little of this on about half hour ago and thought it was strong and maybe not so nice after all; but it's coming back to me now, and it's a beautiful thing.

Do not let the simplicity of the notes lure you: this is a Woodland Fairy that does not go unnoticed. It's quality is undisputable. A certain sweetness, resembling much Chanel no 5. , emerges, rounding up the woodsy notes and rendering it hauntingly feminine. It has a classy and elegant aura yet it's nature is deep. The drydown becomes creamy and somewhat velvety. I too can detect a note resembling honey. I could also swear there were vanilla in this beautiful potion. Toujours Moi... Always I.... Put yourselves first and never try to be someone else. I am wearing it now with great delight. I went with two sprays and even that is too much. Still, it wafts up to my nose like sweetened rosewood. Me loves this drugstore oldie and GOLDY!

I had a lucky find a Good will today (wonderful place to shop for fragrances where you can find many vintage and discontinued/pre-reformulated scents as well as current ones for pennies on the dollar. I purchased two Toujours Moi testers that had no caps and are a dark golden amber colored liquid inside, 1oz each. I sprayed a little on my wrist to see if top notes were still in tact and Bah-Zing! they were. I'm lovin this frag!! It is musky, powdery, floral (jasmine) sweet (orange blossom) and has a very gentle woody base - sandlewood is just such a lovely scent, one of fav basenotes.
Sillage is excellent (don't know if this is EDP or EDT but it has "ripened" with age and really shines in this category. sillage is aproximately 3-4 feet from first spray, 1-2 feet 2-4 hours later. Longevity on this baby rocks, 8+ hours, and as I've said before my skin literally drinks perfume (grrr so frustrating!) but it's been since 3:00 when I sprayed this and it's now 11:40pm! Like I said this is definately an older formula so i can't comment on the current version, but from what other reviewers have said it's pretty inexpensive, so if you're into drug store classics-give this a sniff!

My order has finally arrived...

Oh dear! I LOVE it! It's soo beautiful with the sandalwood and the lemony bergamount smell. I get the smell of shalimar here. More so woody than shalimar which is great for the colder months. I'm absolutely delighted with this perfume! Such a beautiful gem. I only bought the 14ml bottle for a test drive but now a full bottle is on order. The age of the perfume and the price makes the 'muggles' avoid it, which makes it unique for the wearer who truly appreciates amazing blends.

I dare you. Try it.

I remember this from high school when it was made by Corday (who had another great fragrance - Fame). I didn't wear it, but I always loved the scent. As one reviewer said it is one of the most expensive smelling but inexpensive perfumes around. Reading the reviews here has inspired me to finally try it. Sometimes the drugstore can yield amazing finds.

I am so excited! Thanks to all the informative reviews here I was able to go to my local Walgreens and sample one of the most expensive smelling cheapies ever!

I love the name (Always Me), the historic age, and the ambiance. I have very few fragrance associations, so even traditional beauties surprise and stimulate my inexperienced little nose!

Like some of you, I could have sworn there was a hefty amount of vanilla in the base - is this the sandalwood? Unlike Tabu and Royal Secret ~ classics that I at first thought smelled dirty ~ this beauty is easy to wear. Yet it delivers the same kind of depth and warmth, IMHO.


EDIT ~ The weather is cooler than before ~ WOW. Toujours Moi has gone from exciting to Absolutely Sensual. As others have mentioned, this is a winner in winter!

Just purchased this yesterday. I sprayed some on a card, and yes, it does resemble habanita somewhat, but they are also very different. About ten minutes into it, I was mesmerized by this beauty. I could almost swear I smelled some cedar in this...although it's not listed.
There seems to be so much more going on than whats listed here. There were so many gorgeous perfumes to come out of 1921, which most likely started with chanel no5. Another favorite powdery vintage scent!

Holy Madre de Josephina! Toujours Moi is an exceptional fragrance. It is also exceptionally under-rated and under-appreciated, and it's 100 percent affordable. The beauty of this fragrance lies in its utter simplicity.

As reflected in the Dana brand overview page, this 1921 classic was originally produced by Corday and then Max Factor. Like so many fragrances produced in the 20's, Toujours Moi exudes a sophisticated, worldly aura. I don't know what it is about me, but many of these classic Orientals (Tabu) smell deliciously like vanilla.

On to the Toujours Moi experience. The opening reveals a harsh blast of vetiver and sandalwood. It's a rough opening, but it's well worth the result. After 20 or 30 minutes, these delicious vanilla/orange blossom notes overtake the scent. It's an outstanding evolution. I was so entranced by the ever-changing smell that I kept holding my wrist up to my nose. Apparently, my fixation really irritated by husband because he said in a really perturbed tone, "Would you stop smelling yourself!" I only used one spray from the mister.

Anyway, from 30 minutes to two hours after application the fragrance is in a total golden age. After two to three hours, the fragrance starts to deteriorate somewhat, but it lasts for a good six to eight hours. I can see how a younger person could be drawn to this one because the sweet vanilla-like florals that emerge have a very contemporary air, but with more depth and dimension than most new fragrances. Overall, Toujours Moi is awesome!! BTW, I have a new version issued by Dana Classics.

God, I love Fragrantica!

I bought a 1.7 oz bottle of unmarked God-only-knows-what at a local thrift store for three dollars fifty cents, and really lucked out! I even held it out to the shop owner and had her sniff - she breathed, "Ooh.... that's niiice..."
And thanks to Fragrantica, i was able to identify this unmarked curvy beauty within 2 minutes.
Anyway... musky and sweet with a vintage vibe, this dark cognac-colored juice is sexy, a little smoky and LOVELY. To me this embodies sex, earthiness, independence and a hidden spirituality that appeals to me immensely! This is what one of the Witches of Eastwick might have worn (if she was around in 1937!).
I agree with another reviewer about the vanilla - this feels quite heavy on the vanilla to me, although sometimes sandalwood and the sweetness of white flowers can fool you into thinking it's vanilla. It's gorgeous, whatever.
What a happy accident!
Somewhat reminiscent of Emeraude but deeper & richer. I always have to scrub after an hour of Emeraude, but I am loving this'n all the way thru.
This may be my new cool-weather favorite.

A classic, and a keeper! For a while during the first hour a "plasticky" note came and went, then it was really soft and welcoming. I wore this in high school. Nice to have it back!

This smells like the bottom of Mom's purse....Wrigley's Spearmint gum, leather, face powder, Cover Girl lipstick from the 70's with that cinnamon edge. Musk melds with cold leather jacket, swooshing quickly into the car and slamming the door, after just cleaning the frost off the windshield in late Fall. With a cassette tape.

Sexy & Bold.

Much richer, sexier, classier and well blended than Tabu.

This is a sweet oriental-musky scent; received a small .5 oz. bottle of it as a holiday stocking stuffer when I was in elementary school. I still love it and wear it. : )

Dry erotic honey meets vintage face powder, an old suitcase, brown paper, mixed spice, a tinge of dry sherry layered over a beeswax candle. Yes she is old but she is a hottie. This is a damn sexy scent and I reckon very few my age would have heard of yet yet wear it. Man magnet..

Its so amazzzzzing. Ive been finding emeraude to be a little light and tabu to be a little too powerful lately. It smells like dana had a guerlain moment and poured them together. Its more spicy and creamy sandalwood than i was expecting. I anticipated more of a musky floral for some reason. I bought a vintage of the corday and cant wait for it to get here so i can compare but to be quite honest i dont think this version can really be topped!

I want to add that out of my predicament of wanting to wear everything at once i put on some ô de lancôme and im really liking how they interact and complement each other. Citrusey musk and woody vanilla weeeeeee!

I just bought a .5 oz bottle from eBay as a blind purchase and I am very happy with this fragrance! It is the first oriental that I have tried that is warm and inviting on me instead of heavy and cloying. I think this will be a wintertime staple from now on.

I asked my husband for a bottle of this a few years ago because I remembered loving the Max Factor version as a teenager/college girl. I was so disappointed -- this is so heavy and hangs on my like perfumed chain mail! But doing some research, I realized that it wasn't Toujours Moi I wore all those years ago; it was MAGICAL MUSK by Toujours Moi (which,sadly, is no longer produced). I agree that this fragrance (the Dana TM) is very complex and long-lasting (I could smell it on my clothes days after) and is not terrible -- it's just not my usual cup of tea (which is lighter, sweeter, simpler). I'd love to smell the original Corday for comparison.

At first, I thought Toujours Moi might be too "lady-like" (too frou-frou girly) for me. It starts off floral and stays floral but terrific hints of spice peek out. This fragrance isn't lady-like but is womanly in the best sense of the word. Makes me feel strong and beautiful.

Toujours Moi...Bought a bottle of this based on all the great reviews. I love vintage perfume classics so much that I had to try it. I sprayed it on and the initial blast of this ignited a very spicy; warm, sandalwood, and woody scent and then softened into a powdery scent in the dry down. And I totally agree with "miahreis", I detect a distinct note of vanilla...definitely! I think I like this. It will not replace my top favorites such as Chantilly, Ciara and Tommy Girl, but it has certainly earned a place in my collection and I'll wear it when I'm in the mood for a powdery soft fragrance. And I don't find it strong at all...its lovely and soothing, and seems to work well with my chemistry. I don't know what it smelled like when Corday or Max Factor manufactured it, but I feel in general, Dana really does a nice job of formulating perfumes as closely to the original as possible. And this, in my humble opinion, is not an "old lady" perfume by any means. Toujours Moi is sophisticated and beautiful, and anyone can wear this and feel ageless and timeless. If you feel beautiful...you are beautiful.

I bought this because I thought it smelled different in the atomizer, but when sprayed on me, I was pleasantly surprised! It is so warm and rich, it just makes you want to snuggle in a turtle neck sweater! To me is smells as if it has vanilla in it, but it's not one of the notes listed. I can see how elderly people would appreciate this, but I'm 23 and I appreciate it also! I don't know if I would wear this to the office unless you spray lightly, but it would be wonderful for a winter or evening frag. I would wear this while wearing a little black dress, stilleto heels and a string of pearls and a french twist hair style!

Corday introduced this fragrance in 1921. Max
Factor produced it in the 80's and 90's. Both of those versions were oriental florals and smelled the same. This version by Dana is an oriental woodsy and does smell somewhat different. TM by Dana is often mocked and called an "old lady fume" but I don't know why. It is divine! It still has the seminal notes that define the oriental family. The addition of woodsy notes makes this incarnation dryer and softer than the previous two. This is warm, sweet, and a bit outdoorsy. It has a surprising depth and richness for an inexpensive scent. It would be a great fall/winter perfume.

I'm pleasantly surprised by this scent. It reminds me of a fragrance from the past but I like classic scents just as much as modern, actually find classic scents more interesting, so I am enjoying this. It is very powdery, reminds me a little of shalimar but shalimar smells awful on me and this doesnt. Powdery, flowery.. only one spray suffices cause I can see this being a headache inducer if over applied.

It smelled nice at the atomizer, still in the bottle, but not once sprayed,verrrryy lightly,one quick, barely touched spray and I was unhappy for an hour and a half until I was able to vacate!
I appologize to any fans, but, I don't see how we could be talking about the same perfume...

It is overpowering and only gets stronger once sprayed.

This just smells, not flowery or powdery or spicey, just some concocted mutant of I don't know what.

The chemicals seem to be poorly combined because it turns into a muddled mess as though a child were playing in Mommy's vanity.

It smells like the teen trying to cover her smoking, my sister wore it in the 80's and I just got her a bottle for old time's sake and have decided not to give it to her, having sprayed it,idiotically, in my car.It immediately reeked and over the next 45 minutes in the car, became unbearable enough that we openned the winter-car windows.
It also smells like the woman who arrives to work flustered and so having over-scented or who's ollafactory sense has long dissolved and so wears too many scented things.The car ride after my spray brought me back to my childhood,trying to behave at a social event, squeezed between overly zealous 'dresser uppers'.

My aunt Joy , gorgeous , long black hair and big brown eyes. It reminds me of her. She always wore this and men fell out like flies around her ,loved it. Its a very sexy , warm , wintry , sultry scent. Oriental for sure but not a killer like Opium and Cinnabar , more behaved. I loved it on her !! I was too busy dousing Lauren on me back then so cant say I have ever tried it.

This is a faint version of Habanita to me. It is not anywhere near the sillage strength, but certainly get a spicy/smoky vibe much like Habanita and a bit of Tabu. I like this, but not as strong as I like, but maybe this is good for a lighter mood?

Very nice light scent but does not last long at all so what I do with this scent is buy the big 8oz bottle on amazon and buy essential oils then mix the two together for a unique blend of my own perfume!

One of my favourite perfumes of all time. It is wonderful! I love it! I think I like the vintage Corday a little bit better, BUT, I can not really say that with a clear conscience. There is still some kind of magic in the Dana version that is just so alluring. It's a classic in itself. Glorious!

This review is for the eau de cologne spray. I am amazed by the sillage and fixation considering it's concentration. I'm enjoying the orange blossom and musk, they soften to a nice elegant scent. I would not consider this modern or contemporary, but not sure I would consider it dated either. Moderation is key.

i recently bought this; didn't expect much i'll admit but it has been a pleasant surprise.

it start's off very heavy and can be a bit overwhelming at first, the orange blossom is a bit overwhelming here

after an hour it looses it's initial sharpness but is still very noticeableand. it seems to take on a warmness that surrounds you and wafts through the air.

the dry down is delicious, i seem to detect honey although i don't see it listed in the notes.

the best part of this fragrance is its lasting power. i can put it on in the morning and still smell it at 7 pm.

moderation is the key when applying this scent, if applied with a heavy hand it can be cloying.

But i have to add that this review is for the perfume splash not the spray, moreover i'd suggest that you get in this in the splash as the spray seems to have a strange metallic note to it.

Opens as a very strong powdery orange. Dries down to soft jasmine and musk. I like the bottom better than the top. A slightly dated scent but ok in moderation.

A soft, layered oriental that verges on the heavy side. It's warm and creamy, but some of the notes are just this side of a bit much, so even though it's really inexpensive these days, use it sparingly. I wouldn't recommend this for hot weather.